The caravan stretched out in both directions as Miles took up his position next to the cart he and his companions were responsible for. He was impressed by Alice's competence in setting things in order for the trip. Her road experience shone bright and clear, and Miles nodded to himself in approval. So many people tried taking up caravan life, thinking it would be the easiest job in the world. That changed quickly once the hot sun started beating down on their heads with only a tiny flask of water to ward off the heat.
He kept a watch on the dark haired woman when he caught sight of her. She was obviously a soldier, or was at any rate. She marched like a pro, though she looked about ready to jump out of her skin at every loud noise down the line. She looked like she could handle herself, though, so he let it be. The Librarian... Well, while he still wasn't all that impressed, he had to revise his opinion of her field experience. Maybe she wasn't a tower-jockey after all.
He kept several feet between him and the cart, eyes cutting a lazy swath as they travelled. This was home. A caravan guard's life was mostly boring, punctuated by mercifully brief and terrifying moments where bandits or other hostiles tested their resolve. It was arguably better than his other job; a pirate. His sister was biding her time until she could get her own ship, and called on him when she thought there was a chance for mutiny. Hadn't happened yet, but she remained watchful for an opportunity.
The caravan moved at a slow but steady pace, making the five-day trip to Oshkosh and the Fox River Valley as quickly as the slowest cart could make it. It wasn't the longest trip in the area, but it did make some experienced caravan drivers chafe. Miles didn't. He loved the road life. His sister thought he was nuts. Then again, she never got seasick.
Several hours into the journey the caravan ground to a halt. Miles swore, and shielded his eyes, attempting to see what the problem was. He signaled his companions to stay back as he trotted up front to see what was the trouble. He stopped when he saw the large metal shipping containers. He frowned. A caravan director rode up the line on a horse telling people to stay with their wagons. Miles saw uniformed men going in and out of the containers and searching wagons.
"Hey, what's up with the delay?"
The man on the horse shrugged and looked down. "Crawlers. They're looking for something, I guess. Just head back to your spot and sit tight. The less trouble we give 'em, the faster they'll let us by." The man muttered something about being behind schedule and continued up the line.
Miles grimaced. Crawlers were no better than thugs. The men relished bullying others around, and almost always travelled in large enough groups to discourage resistance. This was not good. If they decided he was a threat, or wanted something, there could be trouble. Already he could see the men rummaging through crates and boxes, pocketing things they wanted. He turned and hurried back to his wagon.
When he let them know what was up, The Librarian jumped off another wagon she was using to get a better position. She pointed down the line. "There's another container down there. I think there's more than that, too."
"Yeah, wouldn't surprise me. Look there's a supervisor riding up the line telling people to stay in line. Just go with it. The Crawlers are thugs, but if you don't provoke them, we should get through it."
A commotion made them look. One of the wagoners shook his head vigorously and stabbed one of the men with his finger. The uniformed man grabbed the finger and twisted, shoving his against his wagon. They could hear the pained cries from their position. The group of Crawlers laughed at this. The wagoner tried fighting back, but he got a rap on the back of the head with a pistol for his trouble. He sagged to the ground.
Two of the men grabbed the prone body and hauled it forward while the rest of the group continued down the line.
The Librarian turned to Miles, "You were saying?"
He grimaced back, shaking his head. "Usually, it's fine. Unpleasant, but fine. They must be riled up about something."
From the corner of his eye, he caught the former soldier's expression. She was pale and fidgeting slightly. His eyes snapped to her. He pursed his lips and things snapped into place. "Shit."
She heard him and turned her head. "My name is Annie, and you've all worked with me for years. Got it?"
They nodded. Miles narrowed his eyes, though. He didn't say anything, but he wondered about the logic of staying out in the open. He shrugged and leaned back against the wagon and waited for the coming shakedown.
It took a good half-hour, but a cadre of Crawlers swaggered up. A pair went over to the wagon and rifled through the cargo. Another walked up to Miles and looked him over a superior smirk on his face.
Miles raised an eyebrow. "I'm a guard." He left off the implied 'dumbass'.
The guard frowned but let it pass. "Fine. Don't try anything."
Miles laughed as the man turned and stalked away. He heard the guard question Alice and The Librarian, then 'Annie'. He knew right away it wasn't going to work.
"Hey, leave her be. We've worked with her for years." It sounded half-hearted, even to himself.
The guard ignored Miles and ordered his men to frisk her. Miles had to admit; the woman knew how to hide weapons. He was pretty sure they didn't find them all, either. He sure as hell couldn't hide that many. Alice and The Librarian tried talking the guards out of it, but they paid them no mind. Once they were satisfied with the search, they frog-marched 'Annie' down the line, like the man he saw taken earlier.
Then the shit hit the fan. 'Annie' shoved the guard closest and grabbed his weapon, spun around to fire, and got clobbered in the back of the head. The guards she broke from grabbed her and dragged her away.
The guard in charge walked up to Miles and looked him over again, more keenly this time. "You know her, do you?"
"I just told you that."
He nodded and whistled. "Let's round up this entire group!"
It didn't look like anyone heard him, so he started to whistle again. Miles didn't give him the chance. In one fluid motion, he drew his sword and buried the blade deep enough into the man's neck that he was dead before his body hit the ground.
Miles quickly scooped up the guards billy-club and ducked between some carts. He cleaned his sword of blood and sheathed it before casting about for someplace to lay low. He spotted Alice and The Librarian doing the same. He nodded in approval. The next few minutes would either see them away from the Crawlers, or very, very dead.
He kept a watch on the dark haired woman when he caught sight of her. She was obviously a soldier, or was at any rate. She marched like a pro, though she looked about ready to jump out of her skin at every loud noise down the line. She looked like she could handle herself, though, so he let it be. The Librarian... Well, while he still wasn't all that impressed, he had to revise his opinion of her field experience. Maybe she wasn't a tower-jockey after all.
He kept several feet between him and the cart, eyes cutting a lazy swath as they travelled. This was home. A caravan guard's life was mostly boring, punctuated by mercifully brief and terrifying moments where bandits or other hostiles tested their resolve. It was arguably better than his other job; a pirate. His sister was biding her time until she could get her own ship, and called on him when she thought there was a chance for mutiny. Hadn't happened yet, but she remained watchful for an opportunity.
The caravan moved at a slow but steady pace, making the five-day trip to Oshkosh and the Fox River Valley as quickly as the slowest cart could make it. It wasn't the longest trip in the area, but it did make some experienced caravan drivers chafe. Miles didn't. He loved the road life. His sister thought he was nuts. Then again, she never got seasick.
Several hours into the journey the caravan ground to a halt. Miles swore, and shielded his eyes, attempting to see what the problem was. He signaled his companions to stay back as he trotted up front to see what was the trouble. He stopped when he saw the large metal shipping containers. He frowned. A caravan director rode up the line on a horse telling people to stay with their wagons. Miles saw uniformed men going in and out of the containers and searching wagons.
"Hey, what's up with the delay?"
The man on the horse shrugged and looked down. "Crawlers. They're looking for something, I guess. Just head back to your spot and sit tight. The less trouble we give 'em, the faster they'll let us by." The man muttered something about being behind schedule and continued up the line.
Miles grimaced. Crawlers were no better than thugs. The men relished bullying others around, and almost always travelled in large enough groups to discourage resistance. This was not good. If they decided he was a threat, or wanted something, there could be trouble. Already he could see the men rummaging through crates and boxes, pocketing things they wanted. He turned and hurried back to his wagon.
When he let them know what was up, The Librarian jumped off another wagon she was using to get a better position. She pointed down the line. "There's another container down there. I think there's more than that, too."
"Yeah, wouldn't surprise me. Look there's a supervisor riding up the line telling people to stay in line. Just go with it. The Crawlers are thugs, but if you don't provoke them, we should get through it."
A commotion made them look. One of the wagoners shook his head vigorously and stabbed one of the men with his finger. The uniformed man grabbed the finger and twisted, shoving his against his wagon. They could hear the pained cries from their position. The group of Crawlers laughed at this. The wagoner tried fighting back, but he got a rap on the back of the head with a pistol for his trouble. He sagged to the ground.
Two of the men grabbed the prone body and hauled it forward while the rest of the group continued down the line.
The Librarian turned to Miles, "You were saying?"
He grimaced back, shaking his head. "Usually, it's fine. Unpleasant, but fine. They must be riled up about something."
From the corner of his eye, he caught the former soldier's expression. She was pale and fidgeting slightly. His eyes snapped to her. He pursed his lips and things snapped into place. "Shit."
She heard him and turned her head. "My name is Annie, and you've all worked with me for years. Got it?"
They nodded. Miles narrowed his eyes, though. He didn't say anything, but he wondered about the logic of staying out in the open. He shrugged and leaned back against the wagon and waited for the coming shakedown.
It took a good half-hour, but a cadre of Crawlers swaggered up. A pair went over to the wagon and rifled through the cargo. Another walked up to Miles and looked him over a superior smirk on his face.
"You got anything valuable? Weapons?"
Miles shrugged. "Just my sword."
The guard snorted. "What's your job here?"
Miles raised an eyebrow. "I'm a guard." He left off the implied 'dumbass'.
The guard frowned but let it pass. "Fine. Don't try anything."
Miles laughed as the man turned and stalked away. He heard the guard question Alice and The Librarian, then 'Annie'. He knew right away it wasn't going to work.
"Hey, leave her be. We've worked with her for years." It sounded half-hearted, even to himself.
The guard ignored Miles and ordered his men to frisk her. Miles had to admit; the woman knew how to hide weapons. He was pretty sure they didn't find them all, either. He sure as hell couldn't hide that many. Alice and The Librarian tried talking the guards out of it, but they paid them no mind. Once they were satisfied with the search, they frog-marched 'Annie' down the line, like the man he saw taken earlier.
Then the shit hit the fan. 'Annie' shoved the guard closest and grabbed his weapon, spun around to fire, and got clobbered in the back of the head. The guards she broke from grabbed her and dragged her away.
The guard in charge walked up to Miles and looked him over again, more keenly this time. "You know her, do you?"
"I just told you that."
He nodded and whistled. "Let's round up this entire group!"
It didn't look like anyone heard him, so he started to whistle again. Miles didn't give him the chance. In one fluid motion, he drew his sword and buried the blade deep enough into the man's neck that he was dead before his body hit the ground.
Miles quickly scooped up the guards billy-club and ducked between some carts. He cleaned his sword of blood and sheathed it before casting about for someplace to lay low. He spotted Alice and The Librarian doing the same. He nodded in approval. The next few minutes would either see them away from the Crawlers, or very, very dead.